Sunday, April 12, 2009

The Dutch Labor party is reportedly about to launch a bold new initiative for interfaith dialog and understanding, and against the Israel lobby. Sources close to Labor party's Martijn van Dam stated that their initiative to boycott Israel and get Hamas off the EU blacklist (see here ) is only the begining of a campaign for peace and interfaith outreach that will isolate Israel and the Israel lobby in Europe. Labor also wants to change Dutch and European laws that they call racist, because they discriminate against Islam and alienate Europe's growing Muslim minority.

Among the legislation and initiatives that Labor may consider are the following:

New legislation will make it a crime to criticize Islam or Islamic organizations. A source close to Labor Party leaders reportedly explained, "Criticism of Islam and Islamic organizations creates needless friction. We have only to consider the sad cases of Theo van Gogh and Hirsi Ali to understand that such agitation is undesirable, pointless and dangerous."

To raise the level of interfaith dialog and minority integration and make Muslims feel at home in Holland, Van Dam's party may propose that polygamy should be legalized, and that marriages to girls as young as age 9 should be allowed with parental consent This proposal may be very popular among certain non-Muslim circles as well.

Another Labor proposal would legalize limited wife-beating in Holland. Labor party sources explained that according to Sharia law, it is a religious commandment to beat your wife if she is disobedient. Current Dutch law is racist, since it prevents the proper exercise of the Muslim faith. Likewise, according to Labor party supporters laws should be liberalized, according to these proposals, so that Muslims can carry out punishment of homosexuals and adultresses in compliance with Islamic law, which prescribes death sentences for these offences. In the view of the Labor party, these are all matters of personal preference and individual and community conscience. Nobody will force anyone to have several wives of course, but the Muslim community should have autonomy to act according to its customs and Dutch law should not impose restrictions that are a provocation for extremists.

To show support for Hamas objectives, Labor will raise EU 50 million and equip an armaments ship to break the Gaza blockade and bring much needed supplies such as long range missiles to the Hamas.

To identify and isolate members of the Israel lobby, members of the Jewish faith may be required to wear an identifying yellow star They may also be confined to living in certain neighborhoods. This will help to limit their ability to spread their extremist right wing ideology and Islamophobic ideas.